Pollyanna

By Mickie Lynn

She was complaining again.
This had been going on for months.
Her jerk of a husband left her
abandoned,
alone.
Her life was ruined,
destroyed beyond repair.

I tried to help her feel better
by telling her it would be okay.
She would get through this.

She
spat
out,
“You are such a God damned Pollyanna! Until you’ve gone through a divorce you have NO IDEA what you’re talking about!”

I got real quiet
because I was happily married
going on ten years.

But whispers in my head
thought ongoing complaining
couldn’t be doing much good.

I wondered if I would be the same if in her shoes,

not knowing then
that I would have the chance to find out.

A few years later,
my jerk husband left me.
It was the most painful
experience of my life.

I found some complaining
helps ease the ache and fear and hate,
but after a while
complaining loses power,
adds the heavy weight
of bitterness
to an already burdened load.

The past cannot be changed.
Adjust to a new normal,
dream new dreams.

I now know that Pollyanna is a survivor.